My mom brought me a bunch of extra pillowcases and some sheets that she had lying around at home. They smell just like my mom's linen closet, which is one of my all-time favorite smells in the world. It's some sort of combination of line-dried laundry, a variety of soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, and laundry detergents all combining together and having co-mingled for the past three and a half decades, resulting in the sweet, fresh smell of Home. (My mom has never been too tied to a particular brand of anything, whether toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, detergent, etc. Rather, she is a super sale watcher, and would stock up on whatever was on sale. It was always interesting to visit the Closet to find something to use. Of course, once I reached teenage years, I'd often buy my own shampoo so I could fit in with the teen trends. I remember
Salon Selectives, in their hot pink bottles, were a popular choice and particular favorite of mine.)
I wish I could somehow package the smell and transfer it to my own linen closet, but I'm not sure that's possible. Maybe if I clean out my closet then put all of these sheets and pillowcases in there, some of the smell might permeate and linger.
Other favorite smells of mine are mint fields, lilac and skunk. There were mint fields not too far from where we lived growing
up and when we'd drive past them, I couldn't drink in enough of the smell. It will always be the perfect smell of summer to me. Lilacs probably go without explanation, but they my all-time favorite flower scent. Skunk is one of those pungent aromas that can be unpleasant if too powerful, but I love the smell on crisp, cool air. The nose-tingling sensation makes me feel more alive. Noodle has come to like the smell of skunk, too, or so she claims.
3 comments:
NO! Way! Skunk is one of my favorite smells, too! I've only ever met one other person that likes the faint (and I do mean faint) smell of a skunk--and that's my sister! What a weird thing to have in common.
When it gets a little closer to the end of May I thought about doing a post on my favorite smells, because that's the time my most favorite smell comes out. I'm sure you'll be on pins and needles until then.
I think smells trigger memory for me almost better than anything else. What a nice combination of smells to associate to your mom and childhood.
I've not ever met anyone else who admitted to liking the smell of skunk. We were destined to be friends! :o)
And I am certain I can't wait until the end of May to find out your most favorite smell. I guess if I was more botanically inclined, I might be able to make an educated guess. But my only botany class was Botany 210, Plant Classification, which gave me plant dissection skills and a moderate ability to look things up in a gigantic plant classification key textbook, but little knowledge of actual use or interest. Oh, it also gave me my only C, ever. Granted, it was a C+, but still the worst final grade I've ever received.
you know, i'm glad to read you like skunk. my daughter, bunch, has always claimed to love that smell. when she first said it, her brother had just finished complaining about the stink, so i assumed that it was just a sibling response to his statement (in hindsight this was a major projection--something i would have done to my brother as a kid).
but that was years ago, and she *still* claims to love the smell every time. part of me thought she was just perpetuating an old annoying claim, even though it's kind of out of character for her to do something like that. maybe she actually DOES like the scent...it's just hard for me to fathom!
ahh motherhood. we're constantly learning. i need to follow my heart more in those times when i should give my kids the benefit of the doubt. bunch is an honest girl. i should have accepted that she wouldn't just lie about liking a scent. how ridiculous.
♥
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